Combination pressing machine and drying means



June 9, 1936. J. s. PATTERSON COMBINATION PRESSING MACHINE AND DRYING MEANS Filed May 4, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-2 I'NVENTOR I JOHN S. PATTERSON BY /9% $1 ATTO RN Y5 June 9, 1936. J. s. PATTERSON COMBINATION PRESSING MACHINE AND DRYING MEANS Filed May 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I lNVEfl f l'OR JOHN S. PATTERSON BY -r% ATTORNEYS Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION PRESSING MACHINE AND.

DRYING MEANS Application May 4, 1934, Serial No. 723,929

14 Claims.

' This invention relates to a combined pressing or ironing machine and a fabric drier.

An object of the invention is to provide in one machine means for drying a batch of clothes or other laundered articles, as in a tumbling drum,

while at the same time providing means for ironing or pressing other articles which are suitably dry for such process.

The invention provides a unitary drier comprising means for tumbling fabric articles and means for creating an air current therethrough, so constructed and arranged that the unit may be mounted on a standard pressing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pressing machine having a heated pressing member and a clothes drying member, and common heating means supplying heat to both members.

Another feature of the invention comprises the provision of a heated pressing element and clothes drying means mounted on a common frame, together with means for causing a flow of air contiguous to the heated pressing memher and through the drying means.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the accompanying description together with the drawings and the essential features will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a front elevation of my combined pressing machinev and drying tumbler; Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section, the section being along the line 2--2' of Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a partial view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a modified form of heating arrangement for the drying tumbler; Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4l-t of Fig. 5, showing the construction of the heating element of the pressing member; Fig. 5 is a view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4'; Figl 6 is an enlarged sectional view along means for the drier casing; while Fig. 7 is a dc- .tail sectional view taken .on the line ll-l of Fig. 6.

In one type of laundry service, the .contents 45 of a laundry bundle of one customer is completely processed in a group of machines suitable for washing, drying and ironing all of the articles in the bundle. My invention provides a combination machine providing on one frame means for pressing or ironing laundered articles and a drying tumbler for preliminary drying of the articles before ironing or for rough drying such articles as do not require ironing. Such a machine not only results in a saving of floor space and a saving in machine investment, but also lowers the line 66 of Fig. 1, showing the door closure the operating expense. My improved combination machine is also advantageous for the processing of go backs, thus providing means for drying and ironing small batches of articles with- 0ththe necessity of operating a large drying machine.

My invention contemplates the use of fabric drying apparatus, which may be of widely varying type, used in conjunction with an ironing or pressing machine, which may also vary considerably and yet lie within the scope of my present invention. In general, I have disclosed an arrangement whereby the drier and the coacting pressing members are parts of a common machine and in which the heat from a heated pressing member is used to dry the articles being processed in the drying portion of the machine, either alone or in combination with additional heating means'as hereinafter disclosed.

The particular form of drying device illustrated comprises a tumbling drum rotatably mounted in a casing, there being air inlet and outlet means in the casin a fan for causing a flow of air through the casing, and motor means for rotating the fan and drum. This drying apparatus may conveniently be constructed as a. small unit adapted to be mounted upon a sub-=- stantially standard pressing machine and, in the particular embodiment here disclosed, I have shown such adrying unit mounted above the stationary pressing head of a pressing machine such as is illustrated, described and claimed in Letters Patent No. 2,017,965 granted October 22, 1935, to Angus F. Hariney, for Pressing machine.

The pressing machine illustrated, comprises a frame ill supporting a stationary pressing head it and a movable bed H which is movable into and out of registration and into and out of pressure engagement with the head by means of a fluid motor is. When the piston of the fluid motor moves upwardly, the bed moves into registration by means of yoke it and levers i5 and it. When the bed reaches registering position, a projecting boss ll connected with the piston of the -motor rises to contact a downwardly extending stem on the bed, which serves to raise, the bed from its carriage it into ironing engagenrlent with the head. Suitable control valves are provided for the fluid motor and actuated by a control handle i9, all ofiwhich is more clearly set forth in the copending application before mentioned.

The drying apparatus comprises a casing til 1 comprising a foraminous cylinder 21 which is provided with lifting shelves 28. This cylinder is preferably open at its front or forward end and the casing is provided with a door 29 opposite the opening in the cylinder. The door is preferably carried by a bar hinged to the casing at 3| and carrying a latch portion 32 pivotally connected to the bar at 33 and engaging a catch 34 on the casing when the latch is in closed position. The door may be suitably mounted on the bar by means of a central stud 35, with a spring 35 confined between the bar and door to maintain a tight closure.

The fan and drying tumbler are provided with driving means, preferably from a common motor 31, which has a, driving connection by means of a roller chain 38, with a sprocket 39 mounted on the shaft 40 which carries the tumbler drum. The air circulating fan is driven from a pulley 4| on the motor shaft by means of V-laelts 42 which pass about a pulley 43 mounted on the fan shaft. Suitable control means, not shown, is provided for starting and stopping the motor 31.

The heating means for the head I I might take various forms, but in Figs. 2, 4, and 5 I have illustrated a steam chest 44 through which steam may be circulated through inlet and outlet conduits 45 and 43. The upper wall of the steam chest is provided with heat conducting projections 41 which are surrounded by a member 48 .to provide a chamber 49. The side walls 50 of the device, it will be apparent that suction caused by the operation of fan 24 will draw air in through the openings 5| and over the heated steam chest and the heated projections 41, through the duct 53 and thence through the drying tumbler and out the exhaust conduit.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the air enters the casing 20a through the air inlet opening 22a, this air necessarily passing close to the heated head Ila, which may be heated as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 or in any other suitable ,manner. If such heat is insufllcient, I may provide additional heating means, asshown at 54, comprising steam coils supplied with heating fluid from a suitable source.

Some of the advantages of my invention will be realized with a somewhat different circulation of air through the drying tumbler and wherein the casing alone surrounding the drier may be heated by the mere positioning of this casing above the heated pressing member. In both Figs. 2 and 3, it will be apparent that the casing 20 or 20a, being positioned closely above the heated pressing member II or I la, will be heated to a considerable degree by the heat naturally arising from the pressing head. I donot desire to be limited, therefore, in the scope of my invention other than by the appended claims.

It will thus be apparent that I have provided in one machine a pair of cooperating pressing members at which the operator may carry out various ironing or pressing operations while drying additional articles. in the tumbling drier, the entire machine being arranged so that it occupies a minimum of floor space, requires a minimum of heat supply, and all arranged for convenient operation with the control handle of the pressing machine and the door of the drying tumbler in easily accessible positions for maximum efficiency. 5

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a. frame, a heated ironing member mounted thereon, a drying tumbler on said frame, means for passing a current of air through said tumbler, and'means for preheating said air by said heated ironing member.

2. Apparatus of the class. described comprising a frame, a pair of coacting pressing members mounted thereon, one of which is heated, a 15 drying tumbler on said frame, and means for causing a flow of air across said heated pressing member and through saidydrying tumbler.

.3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a frame, a heated ironing member mounted thereon, a drying tumbler on said frame, and means for causing a flow of air contiguous to said member and then through said tumbler.

4. A combined pressing machine and fabric drier comprising a frame, a stationary pressing head mounted on said frame, a bed movable into and out of pressing engagement with said head, means for moving said bed, fabric drying means mounted on said frame above said head, means for heating said head, and there being air inlet 30 means for said drying means adjacent said head.

5. A combined pressing machine and clothes drier comprising a pair of coacting pressing members, fabric drying means adjacent one of said members, and heating means between the said member and said drying means, whereby to heat both the member and means.

6. A combined pressing machine and fabric drier comprising an upper heated pressingmember, a lower member adapted to coact therewith, a casing positioned above said upper pressing member and adapted to receive heat rising therefrom, and fabric drying means within said casing.

7. Apparatus of the class described comprising 45 a frame, a heated ironing member carried thereby, tumbler drying means on said frame, means for circulating air through said drying means and air inlet means for said circulating means positioned close to said member. 50,

8. Apparatus of the class described comprising a pressing member, heating means therefor, fabric drying means, means for circulating air through said drying means including an air inlet duct, andmeans for causing air to pass across 55 said heating means and into said duct.

9. Apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of pressing members, fabric drying means, one of said members including a steam chest for heating the pressing surface thereof, heat conducting projections on said chest, and means for causing afiow of air around said projections and through said drying means.

10. Apparatus of the class described comprising a frame, upper and lower eoacting relatively movable pressing members on said frame, said upper pressing member including heating means exchanging-relation with the heated pressing on, at least one of which is heated, a casing having a drying chamber also mounted on said frame, and means for supplyin air heated by said'ironing member to said casing to heat material in its chamber.

12. Apparatus of the class described comprising ajrame, a heated ironing member thereon, a

casing having a drying chamberalso mounted on said frame, and a conduit communicating with said chamber and having an inlet adjacent said heated ironing member.

13. A combined machine for preparation and subsequent pressing of moist laundry work, comprising a pair of coacting pressing members,

heating means for one of said members, and a substantiallyv closed casing adapted to contain work to be prepared prior to pressing thereof and located in close proximity to and thereby in heat member.

14. A combined machine for preparation and subsequent pressing of moist laundry work, comprislng a heated upper'pressing member,-a substantially closed casing having a front door opening and adapted to contain work to be prepared prior to pressing thereof and located in close proximity to and thereby in heat exchanging relation with the heated pressing member, and a cooperating lower pressing member movable between a closed position in pressing engagement with the upper pressing member and an open position out of registration therewith, in which open position its work supporting surface is exposed below and in front of said door open-- his.

JOHN S. PATTERSON. 

